The Alamo Scouts were a top
secret reconnaissance and raider unit that operated in
the southwest Pacific during World War II and performed
108 missions without losing a single man, including two
POW camp raids. They are recognized by the Army as a
forerunner of the modern Special Forces. By some
accounts as many as one-quarter of the enlisted
graduates of the first Alamo Scouts training class were
American Indian and served on operational teams, while
the others returned to their units to utilize their
special training.

Sgt. Byron L. Tsingine, a Navajo from the Deer Water
People Clan from Coppermine, Ariz., and Ssg. Alvin J.
Vilcan, a Chitimacha from Louisiana, graduated from the
first training class but returned to their units despite
being selected to operational teams. Tsingine served
another year as a scout in the 158th and was wounded on
Luzon in early 1945.

While with the 158th, Tsingine spoke with Navajo scouts
from other units and passed on vital combat information,
just as the more renowned Navajo code talkers of Marine
Corps fame had done.

''Tsingine and other Indians were invaluable,'' said
Earl Newman, of the Service Company of the 158th. ''They
would speak Navajo and confuse the Japanese. A Navajo
was placed in each company and Tsingine communicated
using the Navajo language when he did reconnaissance
work. The Japanese never knew what we were doing and we
were always a step ahead of them.''

''I knew Tsingine well from our time in the 158th,''
said Thompson. ''He was an excellent fellow and a fine
soldier. I voted for him to be on my team.''

Other Alamo Scout graduates also served as code talkers.
Sgt. Guy F. Rondell, a Lakota from the Sisseton-Wahpeton
Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, was a graduate of the
second Alamo Scouts training class and returned to the
302nd Recon Squadron of the 1st Cavalry Division. He was
one of only 11 Lakota Sioux B3 code talkers who served
during the war. Six served in the Pacific and five in
Europe.

''Pfc. Francis H. LaQuier of my team was a Chippewa from
the White Earth Reservation in Early, Minnesota,'' added
team leader Tom Rounsaville. ''He could draw a map that
looked like an engineer production. His maps were so
detailed and exact that they were part of our mission
reports. He was an integral part of the team and was one
of the finest soldiers I've ever served with.''

The unit assumed a central role in organizing
large-scale guerrilla operations, establishing road
watch stations, attempting to locate and capture or kill
Japanese flag officers, and performing direct action
missions, such as the Cabanatuan POW Camp liberation
where they teamed with elements of the 6th Ranger
Battalion and Filipino guerrilla units to liberate 513
POWs in a daring night attack. When not on missions,
Alamo Scout teams provided bodyguard duty for Krueger
and had specific instructions to kill the general if
capture was imminent.

Near the end of the war, Alamo Scout teams were
preparing for the invasion of Japan, where they were
slated to conduct pre-invasion reconnaissance of Kyushu
as part of Operation Downfall, but fortunately the war
ended.

''Our perfect record wouldn't have lasted if we would
have had to go to Japan,'' said Chief Zeke McConnell, a
Cherokee from Bunch, Okla. who performed 13 operational
missions in New Guinea and the Philippines as part of
Littlefield Team. ''We would have lost a lot of men. It
would have been near suicide.''

After the war, those scouts with enough service points
went home, while others returned to their parent units
or accompanied the 6th Army to Kyoto, Japan and joined
the 6th Ranger Battalion for rations and quarters. Many
former scouts remained in the military and saw service
in Korea and Vietnam, and four went on to attain general
officer rank. Until the mid 1980s, most of the Alamo
Scout missions were classified top secret; the most
recent was declassified in 1993.

The contributions of American Indians to the Alamo
Scouts and their warrior spirit were further evidenced
by the unit's distinctive insignia. In late 1944, a
contest was held at the Alamo Scout Training Center on
Leyte to design a unique shoulder patch. Krueger
approved the patch for wear in theater, but it was not
approved by the Institute of Heraldry and had to be
purchased independently.

The final design featured a fully embroidered blue
background with a red outer border and a wide white
inner circle. Within the upper half of the circle
appeared ''Alamo Scouts'' and within the bottom half,
''Sixth Army.'' The letters were fashioned in green,
log-type script and symbolized the trailblazing nature
of the unit. A depiction of the Alamo centered inside a
white inner circle symbolized the bravery of the Alamo's
original defenders, and an Indian head superimposed upon
the Alamo represented silent reconnaissance.

Although the true extent of Native participation in the
Alamo Scouts likely will never be known, their legacy of
outstanding service, quiet professionalism and toughness
is secure. Their contribution to victory in the
Southwest Pacific and other theaters during World War II
has forever cemented their place among America's elite
warriors and set a high standard for future generations
to meet.

''I'm proud to be a Native American and an Alamo
Scout,'' said McConnell. ''But in the Alamo Scouts it
didn't matter if you were Indian, Caucasian, Hispanic or
Filipino. Our mission was to accomplish the mission, and
we all did our part just like every other soldier. The
men were tough, the training was tough, and the missions
were tough. But I think our record speaks for itself.''

A record of 108 missions with zero casualties speak
volumes.

Identified American Indians who served in the Alamo
Scouts:

* Anthony J. Ortiz

* Zeke McConnell

* Virgil F. Howell

* Robert T. Schermerhorn

* Joseph A. Johnson

* Joshua Sunn

* Theodore T. Largo

* Francis H. LaQuier

* David M. Milda

* Byron L. Tsingine

* Alvin J. Vilcan

Lance Q. Zedric is the
author of ''Silent Warriors of World War II: The Alamo
Scouts Behind Japanese Lines.'' He is a lecturer on
military affairs and special operations forces,
historian for the Alamo Scouts Association and
co-founder of
www.alamoscouts.org.

Please
copy and save this banner to your own files and place it on your web page.
Please feel free to share this banner with everyone that you know.
Link it to http://www.unitednativeamerica.com. Thank you!